Hydraulic press.



No. 686,660. Patented-Nov. 12, I901.

A. H. KETCHAM.

HYDRAULIC PRESS. (Application fil ed Apr. 9, 1901..) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Shunt I.

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"No; 686,660. Patented' Nov. I2, I90]. A. HrKETCHAM. v

HYDRAULIC PRESS. A imation med Apr-.1 9, 190 1.

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(Na Modal.)

Patented Nov; l2, I90I.

A H. KETCHAM. HYDRAULIC PRESS. (Application fild A t 9, 1901.

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALVES H. KETCHAM, OF PANA, ILLINOIS.

HYDRAULIC PRESS.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 686,660, dated November 12, 1901.

Application filed April 9, 1901.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALvns'H. KETCHAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pana, in the county of Christian and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hydraulic Presses; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,

clear, and exact description of the invention,

such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention aims to. provide a press which will enable the article under compression to be condensed to ,a degree previously determined upon, thereby insuring uniformity of compactness of bales or packages and obviating overstraining of parts of the press.

For a full description of the invention and the merits thereof and also to acquire akn'owledge of the details of construction of the means for effecting the result reference is to be had to the following description and drawings hereto attached. 7

While the essential and characteristic features of the invention are necessarily susceptible of modification, still the preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a detailview in elevation of a hydraulic press embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the baling-chamber, hydraulic cylinder, and parts cooperating therewith, the relief-valve being open. ,Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, the relief-valve be ing closed. Fig. 4 is a section on the line Y Y of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a section on the line X X of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a section on the line Z Z of Fig. 3. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the Serial l lo- 55,082. (No model.)

moval of the bale and the placing of material in position to be compressed. This movable side is indicated at l and is preferably hinged, so as to open after the fashion 'of a door. The frame may occupy either a ver- 1 tical or a horizontal position, as found most advantageous. 1

The baling-chamber 2 and the hydraulic cylinder 3 are in axial alinement to admit of g the pressure being transferred directly from i the plunger 4 to the material to be compressed.

The plunger 4 fits'the cylinder 3 tightly, so as to prevent any escape of the power-transmitting agent, and is provided at one end with the follower 5, which fits the baling-chamber snugly and is adapted .to' compress the material therein. pipe 6 connects with the lower end of the 1 cylinder 3 and extends from the pump 7 or other device for subjecting the liquid or other j agent to pressure for actuating the plunger. A dome 8 is located in the length of the supply-pipe and is provided with a check The supplyvalve 9 to prevent the escape of the liquid from the dome or hydraulic cylinder aft-er being forced therein by the pressure-creating device 7.

10 indicates a tank from which the pump 7 draws the liquid to be supplied to the hydraulic cylinder and into which the spent liquid escapes to be again utilized in the operation of the press. The lower end of the pump is connectedby a suction-pipe 11 with the tank 10, and a return-pipe 12 connects the .tank 10 with the lower portion of the hydraulic cylinder and with the casing 13 of the relief-valve. A valved branch pipe 14 connects the valve-casing 13 with the pipe 12, and a corresponding valved branch pipe 15 connects the lower portion of the hydraulic cylinder with the said return-pipe 12. When charging the hydraulic cylinder, the valve 16, applied to the pipe 15, is closed, and after the bale has been formed and bound the valve 16 is opened, thereby permitting the liquid to pass from the cylinder 3 back into the tank or reservoir 10.

In order to prevent overstraining of the parts and to insure a uniform compression of the material to be baled, a tension-regulating device is provided and cooperates with the relief-valve, so as to prevent further chargin g of the cylinder aftera predetermined pressure therein has been reached. The regulating device consists of a yielding contrivance 17, which may be aspring or a series of springs, according to the required resistance and pressure. The strength of the yielding contrivance 17 is determined by experiment or by providing a spring constructed of spring-wire of a given gage and number of turns or coils. The sole purpose of the yielding device is to hold the relief-valve 18 seated under normal conditions and until the required pressure within the cylinder has been reached, when the device 17 will yield and permit the reliefvalve to automatically unseat itself and provide an escape for the inflowing liquid. This yielding contrivance 17 is located in the casing 13, and its upper portion fits within the body of the valve 18. In the preferred construction a series of springs are placed one within the other to form the yielding device 17, as shown most clearly in Figs. 2 and 3.

The valve 18 is hollow and is placed with its closed end uppermost, whereby the yielding device 17 may be received therein. A circular rim 19 projects vertically from the upper end of the valve and fits tightly within the opening 20 in the lower head of the hydraulic cylinder, and this rim is provided with a series of openings 21, which provide an escape for the liquid passing from the cylinder under pressure when the part 17 has been compressed by reason of excessive pressure within the said cylinder. Under normal conditions the valve is held closed against the head 22 of the cylinder with the rim 19 wholly within the opening 20, as indicated most clearly in Fig. 3. \Vhen in the operation of the press the pressure within the cylinder 3 reaches a given point and tends to exceed the same, the valve 18 is forced downward against the tension of the yielding device 17 until the openings 21 pass below the bottom side of the head 22,when the liquid will pass from the cylinder through the openings 21 into the casing 13 and thence bywayof the pipes 14 and 12 into the tank without producing any overstraining of the parts. When the pressure in the cylinder is equal to or less than that required and forwhich the part 17 is set, the valve 18 will be held seated, so as to prevent any escape of the pressure-transmitting medium.

In practice and preliminary to the formation of a bale the plunger 4 enters the cylinder to its lowest point, as indicated in Fig. 3, thereby permitting the follower 5 to occupy the lowest position in the baling-chamher. The material to be compressed is placed in the billing-chamber and is confined therein by closing the door 1, after which the pump 7 is set in motion and the liquid drawn from the tank 10 and forced into the cylinder 3 and causing the plunger 4 to move upward and compress the material into a bale of required size. Should the pressure in the cylinder tend to exceed a given point, the relief-valve automatically opens and permits the inflowing liquid to pass back into the tank 10. After the bale has been bound the valve 16 is opened and the liquid in the cylinder 3 passes therefrom into the tank 10, permitting the plunger 4 to return to a normal position, when the bale can be removed to again admit of further use of the press in the manner stated.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is-- In combination, a hydraulic cylinder having an opening in its closed end, a plunger arranged to work in the cylinder, a valved casing fitted to the closed end of the cylinder and in communication therewith, a hollow valve located in the said casing and having a projecting rim fitted into the opening between the casing and cylinder and having openings in its sides, a spring arranged within the valve and casing and normally holding the valve closed and adapted to yield to permit automatic opening of the valve when the pressure in the cylinder exceeds a predetermined degree, a tank, a pressure-creating device connected with the said tank, a pipe conmeeting the pressure-creating device with the working end of the hydraulic cylinder and having a check-valve at a point in its length, a valved pipe connecting the aforesaid casing with the tank, and a second valved pipe connecting the working end of the hydraulic cylinder with the pipe connecting the tank and casing and having connection with said pipe at a point between the tank and valve thereof, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALVES H. KETCI'IAM.

Witnesses:

J. O. HENDERSON, WM. KIRBY. 

